Drawer slide assemblies mounted to cabinets and drawers for slidably opening and closing a drawer are well known in the art. The assemblies typically include at least two slide rails that are telescopically mounted within one another to extend and retract. The typical assembly includes an outside rail, which is mounted to the cabinet and an inside rail, which is mounted to the drawer. Ball bearing assemblies are usually mounted between the rails to reduce the friction between the rails. This reduction in friction between the rails allows the drawer to easily open and close. As a result, the drawer can unintentionally open causing injury and/or causing the contents of the drawer to escape. For example, a child can easily pull open a drawer and strike a body part against the open drawer causing injury. In another example, a drawer mounted to a cabinet installed in a recreational vehicle can unintentionally open during movement causing the contents of the drawer to dislodge and escape.
The prior art has attempted to solve these problems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,083,243 to Lee discloses a self-closing and opening-preventing device for slide rails. The device includes a housing mounted to the inside of a fixing rail attached to a cabinet. The housing has a central long pin guiding groove to accept a pin attached to a moveable rail. A cam slider moves within the housing and a spring is attached to the rear of the housing and to the cam slider. Engaging jaws mounted on the cam slider can be locked in the engaging holes. The engaging jaws are configured to receive an actuating pin fixed to a moveable rail to lock the opening-preventing device.
However, the device requires numerous parts that easily wear leading to failure of the device. Specifically, the spring remains in a stretched position until the engaging jaws engage the actuating pin. This constant tension leads to fatigue and premature failure. Further, the pins of the cam slider on which the engaging jaws are mounted are thin which leads to the severance of the pins from the cam slider.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,104,691 to Chi discloses a self-moving mechanism to keep a drawer slide in a closed position. The mechanism includes a housing mounted to a first slide rail, an actuator under spring compression moveable within the housing wherein the movement of the actuator is guided by a series of slots, and an angled slit formed in the web of a second slide rail telescopically mounted to the first slide. As the second slide retracts, the angled slit engages a pin attached to the actuator and the actuator urges the pin and the second slide into a retracted position. Flexible tines adjacent a longitudinal slot keeps the pin of the actuator, and thereby the second slide, in a retracted position. The mechanism disclosed in Chi requires thin tines cut into a wall in the housing to keep the second slide in a retracted position, which leads to fatigue and ultimately failure. The premature failure renders the entire mechanism useless. Further, Chi does not provide a push to open feature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,854,485 to Berger discloses a closing and opening device for drawers. A latch housing is attached to an outer rail and a moveable catch component slidably moves within the latch housing. The moveable catch component is moved by a dog attached to a running rail slidingly engaged with the outer rail and attached to a drawer. The moveable catch component is biased by a coupling rod adjacent to the moveable catch component and under spring compression. The coupling rod has a ball head to frictionally engage a receiver of the moveable catch component. Opposite the moveable catch component is a lever hingedly connected to the coupling rod. The lever has a projection that guides the lever along a cam path.
However, the device in Berger requires the ball head to frictionally engage the receiver of the moveable catch component each and every time the drawer is closed. Once the projection and lever is released from the closed position the ball head remains frictionally engaged with the moveable catch component requiring further pulling force to release the drawer. This constant frictional engagement between the ball head and the receiver leads to premature wear and ultimately failure, which results in rendering the opening and closing device useless.
The prior art fails to disclose or suggest a pressure release slide latch mechanism with a push to open feature that will not result in premature failure. Therefore, there is a need for a pressure release slide latch mechanism of durable construction allowing for a reliable and easy push to open feature with fewer parts. Anticipated applications of the invention include, but are not limited to environments where no drawer knobs or pull handles are desired, environments where safety is a concern such, and/or environments where sanitary conditions are a concern. For example, hospitals may use the invention to reduce the collection of bacteria on handles or knobs and daycare centers where the invention may be used reduce injury from striking protruding hardware and from the unintentional opening of a drawer.
The prior art also fails to disclose or suggest a method of modifying mechanisms such as pressure slide latch mechanisms to operate in cabinet carcasses which are not square.